


something like finality

by Suicix



Category: Professional Wrestling, World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Bittersweet, F/M, Goodbyes, Light Angst, Past Relationship(s), Romantic Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-10
Updated: 2016-06-10
Packaged: 2018-07-14 05:50:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7156136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Suicix/pseuds/Suicix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>“Just wanted to say goodbye,” is the reason Wade gives when Alicia asks why he wanted to see her. “Not goodbye forever, I hope. But for now.”</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	something like finality

“Just wanted to say goodbye,” is the reason Wade gives when Alicia asks why he wanted to see her. “Not goodbye forever, I hope. But for now.”

Alicia nods, acknowledging. She can’t think of anything very much to say. It’s not that she doesn’t want to see him before he’s gone, but because she wasn’t sure how she’d handle it. She knew he was going to be leaving soon. Everybody knew, really. There’s the matter of whether he’ll stick it out for what remains of his contract or if he’ll be shown some mercy and get away beforehand, but it’ll be soon. He deserved more, and while it’s so easy to say that abut so many people here, so many of the people Alicia’s seen come and go over the years, it’s especially true for Wade. Maybe that’s because she knows him better than she knew any of the rest, because she loved him and – and still does, really, in a different, muted, misty kind of way. Not quite the burning desire of when they were together, but it’s still there.

“It’ll be weird,” she says eventually, clenching a hand into a fist by her side so she doesn’t do anything foolish like reach out to take one of his. Of course that never used to be something she’d shy away from, but now she doesn’t know how he’ll react. She always liked holding his hand, whether she was beside him or if one of them was leading, Wade able to part a crowd with his height. Even if they weren’t on the move, too: she’d slip a hand into one of his as they sat quiet on the couch or while waiting backstage. They were never a couple that was joined at the hip, never unhealthily dependent on each other, but it was a _thing_ , as simple as it was. “You not being around.”

“Well.” Wade shrugs, smiling although the look in his eyes is bordering on being sad. “It’ll be weird not being here.”

It would be, Alicia thinks. She can’t imagine such a big change after so many years, going from travelling across the country and the world with minimal time off to just – to just not doing that. She wonders if Wade will get restless, like he did the times he was injured, but probably not. It’s being here that’s making him frustrated, not being away and unable to compete. This time, he actually wants to go, wants to get away, wants to do other things, wants to relax. It’s a shame that it took him feeling so unfulfilled to get to this point, that he can’t look back over his career and be satisfied with it. He might say he is, might crack half a smile and tell whoever’s asking that you can’t always get what you want, but Alicia _knows_ it hurts him. It always did, and she knows because the same kind of thing hurt her too, as much as she convinced herself and everyone else that it didn’t.

Again, she’s a little lost for words. She wants to say everything and nothing all at once, wants to tell him everything that’s happened over the past year or so, all the time that’s gone by that they didn’t get to share. She just doesn’t know how much of it he’d want to hear.

Luckily, Wade breaks the quiet.

“Do keep in touch, yeah?” he says, and when Alicia nods, he leans down to kiss her on the cheek.

“Yeah,” she says when he pulls back, and she means it. “I will.”

There’s another pause, a moment of silence that stretches itself out just that bit too long, but then Wade’s stepping in closer and gently pulling her into him, as if to give her the chance to pull away if she doesn’t want it. Alicia _does_ want it, though: she relaxes to it, Wade’s arms around her just as warm and strong as she remembers. She rests her head against his chest and his arms tighten on her back, and they stand there for a while, just breathing each other in, and – and it’s all over too soon. No more contact, just Wade standing there in front of her, another one of those sad smiles on his face.

“I’ll see you, then. Or contact you, at least. Something. Take care of yourself.”

“You too,” she tells him, though she knows he will. He isn’t reckless, doesn’t do anything that could be considered careless without taking his time to deliberate over all the options first. No wonder she never saw the break-up coming.

Still, even as Wade turns to leave, Alicia has some hope – just a tiny bud of it that she can’t quite bring herself to let go of. After all, he said it wasn’t goodbye forever. Just for now.


End file.
